


From the Pinnacle to the Pit

by Raelilly



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, fallen angel AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2016-10-09
Packaged: 2018-08-20 09:12:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8243998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raelilly/pseuds/Raelilly
Summary: Nico knew it had been a mistake the moment the words left his lips. He dropped his head in shame, his only desire to suck the words back into his mouth. To pull back the spoken thought that had sealed his fate. Even though he expected it, the blow came as a surprise. An impossible force pounding his sternum, he heard the crack of bones as he began to fall. The rush of wind stripped the breath from his lungs. While the push of air against him was icy cold, he still registered an impossible heat. A seething burn that invaded every cell. All of his being pulled inward, instinct telling him curl in upon himself in hopes of softening the blow, to protect the most vital parts of his physical body. Before he passed out Nico had only the time to register the blackened feathers swirling into his line of sight. Only one rational though fought through the haze of pain.
“Such a long way down.”
Or the Fallen Angel AU nobody asked for.





	

Nico knew it had been a mistake the moment the words left his lips. He dropped his head in shame, his only desire to suck the words back into his mouth. To pull back the spoken thought that had sealed his fate.   
Even though he expected it, the blow came as a surprise. An impossible force pounding his sternum, he heard the crack of bones as he began to fall. The rush of wind stripped the breath from his lungs. While the push of air against him was icy cold, he still registered an impossible heat. A seething burn that invaded every cell. All of his being pulled inward, instinct telling him curl in upon himself in hopes of softening the blow, to protect the most vital parts of his physical body. Before he passed out Nico had only the time to register the blackened feathers swirling into his line of sight. Only one rational though fought through the haze of pain.

“Such a long way down.”

******************************************* 

It was dark when Nico started to stir into consciousness. He had no idea where he was, or how long he had been out. As he started to become more aware he realized that he was on his side, a lumpy mattress under him. A small groan of pain escaped his lips as he tried, slowly, to push himself up.  
“Oh, hey, you probably don’t want to do that just yet…”   
The voice behind him was soft, and clearly its owner spoke with the intent of calming Nico. Unfortunately for both of them his words had the exact opposite effect. With a shout of surprise Nico pushed himself up and quickly turned to face this unknown threat. The pain that ripped through him with the movement was excruciating. He screamed in earnest, doubling over, remembering again the burning from his fall. His panic peaked as the full implications of his situation rushed into his consciousness.  
“Where is this? This is The Pit isn’t it? I’ve been damned. DAMNED!” Nico sobbed as he reached a shaking hand back to find….. nothing.   
“I’m sorry, they’re not there,” the soft voice spoke again, “but this isn’t The Pit. You are not damned. I promise I’ll explain, but please, you need to lie down. You’re already injured, I don’t want you to do more damage. Let me help you.”   
A soft hand closed gently on Nico’s shoulder.   
“I’m Will,” the voice spoke again, “I can help you, please, let me help you.”  
“Where are they?” Nico spat stubbornly. “My wings, what have you done?” he shouted, although he already knew the answer, already knew that whomever this Will was he had done nothing to Nico’s wings. Nico had done that himself.  
“You fell” Will whispered. “I saw you. I thought I could help. Please lie down, we can talk about this when you’re well. If you over exert yourself you’ll just pass out again.”  
Nico fought the black haze that threatened to fill his vision, and was suddenly met with a pair of blue eyes. Not just blue, to call Will’s eyes simply blue would be an insult. Will’s eyes were the bluest blue Nico had ever seen. The blue of Heaven’s twilight skies, but filled with a sadness Nico was not yet willing to face. Nico fought further against the blackness and his vision expanded to include a halo of golden curls. Gold like the trumpets of the heralds. Will was beautiful in a way that Nico knew well. He thought he was starting to understand, when a shudder of pain ripped through his thin frame once again. He clutched at his own arms, only now noticing the angry red burns that covered his skin in a haphazard pattern.   
“Who are you? What makes you think that you can help me?” Nico forced the words through gritted teeth.  
Will sighed, his eyes dropping in shame. “I can help you” he answered, as he reached and removed his T-shirt, “because I know what you are feeling right now.”   
Will turned so that his bare back faced Nico, revealing two livid red scars, one next to each shoulder blade.  
“I know how far you have fallen.” Will said sadly. They were the last words Nico heard before succumbing to unconsciousness once more. 

**************************************************************

The second time Nico regained consciousness the sun had just started to rise. Gray pre-dawn light seeped in through a single window that filled a whole wall, the weak light just enough for Nico to make out his surroundings. He found himself in a rather large room, he was still laying on the lumpy mattress, which was pushed up against one wall. The opposite wall had a counter and cabinets, a stove and refrigerator tucked into a murky corner far opposite his position. There were other small furnishings, a futon style couch and a low table that held an ancient looking television. Nico had no idea where he was, which was disconcerting, yet he did not feel any threats nearby. He rubbed a hand across his eyes, an attempt to clear the fogginess of unconsciousness. It helped enough for him to remember the last time he had awoken. There had been someone here, blue blue eyes…..  
Will.   
As the memories washed fully over him Nico attempted to sit up, slowly this time. Once again he heard a voice from behind him, still soft, but this time punctuated with a small yawn.  
“Oh hey, you’re up. Careful, it will still be awhile before you have a full range of motion, take it slow.”  
Nico felt the same soft hand he remembered from before, this time under one of his arms, offering support. Nico considered shaking off the contact, but decided that current circumstances being what they were, he didn’t have much room to be upset about his personal space. Once fully upright he was finally able to face Will. He was surprised to find that the beauty he remembered had not been fabricated by his over stressed mind. Even with a soft sleepy smile in place, Will was beautiful. And it appeared that he had not replaced his shirt after showing Nico his scars. Nico couldn’t help but notice the freckles that were scattered across Will’s shoulders and chest, he had to fight the temptation to reach out and touch them, just to confirm that Will was real.   
“Who are you? How did you find me? What is this place?”  
Will sighed and turned his back to Nico again, showing a glimpse of his scars before he found and replaced his shirt.   
“Right down to business, huh? I don’t remember being this coherent after The Fall, you must be strong.” Will turned to smile at Nico before continuing. “I’m Will, Will Solace. This is my apartment, it’s not much but it’s home. As for finding you, it wasn’t hard, I just followed the flames. I told you that I saw you fall. I brought you here to help you heal. Although I haven’t caught your name yet?”  
Nico stretched a bit, testing out his body. It hurt, but not unbearably so.  
“Nico. And while I appreciate the thought, I don’t need help. Thank you for last night, but I’ll be out of your hair shortly.” With that Nico attempted to stand, which evidently was not the best idea, his vision started to go black again. Nico wavered on to his feet, and of course, Will was there to catch him. Strong arms supporting Nico around the waist. Will was a bit taller than Nico, and clearly strong, he made it seem like nothing to support Nico’s weight.   
“Whoa! I don’t think so. You’re not leaving, not for at least three days. You need time to heal, and to get used to this body. Speaking of which, there are a few… new things we should discuss about your body. Without our wings we are basically humans, which means you will need to take care of this body like a human would. Come on, lets get some food in you.”  
Nico looked up at Will, confusion most likely evident in his expression.   
“Food?” he asked.  
“Yeah, this body needs food to convert into energy, and then it will be converted into, well we’ll talk about that later. It’s less pleasant but you’ll get used to it. We’ll start with something small, which is good, because to be honest I’m not the best cook. How about….. oatmeal? Yeah, oatmeal will be perfect.”   
As he spoke Will guided Nico towards the futon couch he had noticed before. He helped Nico to lower himself down to sit before moving to the kitchen area, pulling items from cabinets and drawers as he went.   
Nico watched Will’s back as he worked. Even with his shirt back in place Nico felt like he could see the scars on his back. They seemed to call out to him, begging him to ask. And so he did.  
“Will, how long have you been here?”  
Will’s shoulders drooped slightly. He did not face Nico, instead keeping his focus on his task.   
“I’ve been here for just over a year. I’m the newest, well, I was, until you showed up. Once you’re well I’ll introduce you to the others. You’ll love them.”  
Nico swallowed hard, he could hardly believe what he was hearing. He had been surprised just to meet Will. “There… there are others…. like us?” At that Will did turn to face him. He offered Nico a soft smile before replying “of course, who do you think helped me when I Fell? And taught me all that I know about integrating into humanity? Did you think you were the first to Fall since, well since the BIG Fall?”  
Nico cleared his throat “yes, actually I did. I had never heard of others Falling before, I thought it was just me who was stupid enough to get banished. Until I met you.”  
Will laughed before turning back to his task. “The Creator’s don’t like angels to know how easily they can be banished, bad for morale and all that. You’re not stupid, there are quite a few of us. Like I said, heal first, then we can meet everyone. I promise it will be worth the wait.”  
Nico looked down at his hands, noticing again the angry red burn marks that wound up his arms. He was holding back the questions he really wanted to ask, he didn’t want to offend Will. After all, where would he be without Will’s help? Nico was smart enough to know that he needed Will. However he also knew that if there was one word that had never been used to describe him it was tactful. And so, after a deep breath, he asked the question that was weighing so heavily on him.   
“Will?” his voice sounded small and afraid, even in his own ears, “will I… will I have scars.. like yours?”  
Will faced him again, the immeasurable sadness Nico had seen last night present in his eyes once again. “Yes. I’m a healer, so hopefully yours won’t be quite so bad, but you will have scars where your wings once were, along with the burns on your arms. I can help to make sure they aren’t too dark, but you will have scars. I’m sorry Nico.”  
Nico met Will’s gaze, confusion evident once again. “You don’t have scars on your arms, why do I?”  
Will looked down, clearly ashamed. “When you Fell, you wrapped your wings around yourself. It was smart, I think it protected you from breaking too many bones when you landed, but the feathers burned your arms as they burned away. When I Fell, I stretched my wings out behind me. I was prideful enough to think that I would just fly back. Evidently it doesn’t work that way.” Will gave a short harsh laugh before turning back to the kitchen. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter now. What does matter is that the oatmeal is done. Let’s try to get your first meal down. You might actually like this part.”  
Somehow Nico doubted that. 

*********************************************************

Nico had learned a lot in the three days he had spent in Will’s apartment. He had learned that he needed to eat and drink at regular intervals, and had been horrified to learn that meant that he would have to use the bathroom at regular intervals. (In retrospect it probably hadn’t been too exciting for Will to teach him about that one either, they had agreed to never speak of it again.) He had learned how to shower and keep himself clean. He had learned about plumbing, and electricity, and when he had felt stir crazy from staying in the apartment he had learned about grocery stores. Will had started to teach him how to cook, but Nico had learned quickly that Will had been truthful that first day, he was a horrible cook. Nico’s body had healed enough that Will had finally agreed to take him to meet his friends, the other Fallen. Which meant that Nico was also learning about subways. Will assured him that it wouldn’t take long for the overwhelming map on the wall to be a helpful guide, instead of looking like a plate of colorful spaghetti. Nico was willing to take his word on that one.  
After a quick walk from the subway they reached a brick three story building. Will had told Nico that this was the home of Percy and Annabeth. Percy and Annabeth had helped Will when he Fell, he had stayed with them until he was stable enough to get his own place. Will had explained that many of the Fallen chose to pair up romantically. It made sense to have a partner that understood, that would help to integrate into human life, and it also made sense from a financial aspect. Will had explained to Nico how he would have to get a job in order to make money, since humans traded money for living space, food, pretty much everything. It seemed overwhelming, but Will had promised his friends would help. Nico’s nerves must have been more obvious than he thought, as they neared the door to the third floor apartment Will reached out and took his hand. He gave a little reassuring squeeze before knocking.  
Nico had been convinced that Will had been an exceptionally beautiful angel, but it turns out that all of the Fallen were unbearably good looking. Nico had been introduced to all of Will’s friends, most of them paired off already. There was, of course, Annabeth with her golden hair and intelligent eyes, and Percy with his sea green eyes and broad shoulders. Piper’s choppy brown hair only served to accentuate her dramatic super-model features, she was with tall and imposing Jason, all muscles and blonde hair. Then came Frank with his dark eyes and knuckle-crackingly strong handshake, who introduced Hazel with her bouncy curls soft smile. Nico wanted to hug her, and he barely even knew her. Last were the only two besides Will who were not yet paired up, Leo, who seemed to be the embodiment of mischief, and Reyna with her long dark braid and haughty expression. Nico was sure that there was more under the surface of that look.   
They all sat down in the living/ dining room area to eat. Annabeth and Percy had a larger apartment than Will, there was actually more than one room, but it was still crowded. Some sat at the table, while others crowded the couch and even the floor. Percy and Leo perched on the kitchen counter, plates held precariously in their laps. Everyone had brought something for the meal (aside from Will, who had been told not to worry since he was bringing Nico. Nico suspected that his friends had been subjected to Will’s cooking before).   
After dinner they got down to business. Nico noticed that Annabeth and Reyna naturally assumed the lead in the conversation. Since no one questioned it he assumed that meant that they had been here the longest. He itched to ask everyone to tell their story, to learn how they had Fallen, but he had been forewarned by Will that some of the Fallen found this a terribly personal thing to ask. It was better, Will said, to wait for the information to be volunteered than to ask and risk offending. So Nico held his tongue, for now. He had also been forewarned that tonight he would not be granted the same kindness. In order to create an identity, to find an appropriate job and living arrangement for Nico the rest would need to know his story. Since Will was the most recent to Fall, everyone already knew his story. He had promised he would be there the whole time so that Nico would not feel so uncomfortable, to make sure nobody overstepped their bounds. This had reassured Nico when they discussed it back at Will’s apartment, but now, in front of a room full of people, he was beginning to have doubts.   
After a break in the conversation Reyna turned to Nico, her eyes softer than they had been earlier. “Nico, I know this will be hard for you, and I am sorry to have to ask. In order to help you we will need to know your story. Can you tell us please?”   
Nico took a deep breath, he turned to Will, who nodded in encouragement.   
“I’m ready. What do you need to know?”  
Annabeth started things off, “What type of Angel were you Nico?”  
“I… I was an Angel of Death.”  
Nico had expected the room to go silent at this point, which it did, what he hadn’t expected was for Hazel to squeal and jump across the coffee table to throw her arms around his neck.   
“I KNEW it! I knew as soon as I saw you! This makes you like my brother!”   
Nico, arms held out awkwardly, looked over to Will, who mimed that he should return the hug. Nico did.   
“You…. you’re a… but you’re so…..”  
“So WHAT?” Frank asked with an eyebrow raised. Hazel waved him off with a hand.   
“I specialized in children Nico. It’s a pretty small field, and I was one of the best. I didn’t look threatening, it was easier to gain the children’s trust.”  
“That would explain it, yes.” Nico answered, glancing quickly at Frank, who had thankfully relaxed in his seat. Hazel returned to her seat next to him.  
“I specialized in the elderly,” Nico continued, “I didn’t have to look non-threatening, but I did have to have an extensive historical knowledge. It helped to talk about the ‘good old days’ and win them over. I would be assigned a case weeks, sometimes months in advance. My job was to go and talk to them as they were sleeping or near sleep, close to the veil, to build familiarity so that when they passed they would be ready to follow me. After many years of this it started to wear on me, why did they have to suffer so long? That’s how I Fell, I asked why I couldn’t take them sooner, why did we have to allow them to suffer? I was told that was the way of things, and I rebelled. I said if that was the way of things They could find someone else to do it. And They let me Fall. That’s all.”  
Will placed his always gentle hand on Nico’s shoulder.   
Reyna and Annabeth exchanged a look. “Historical knowledge, I could find him something in the Library with me,” Annabeth started, “it would likely be low pay to begin with, but he could become an expert…”  
“Death,” Reyna countered, “we could set him up in the Morgue at the hospital where Will works.”  
“That would be good,” Will answered, perking up a bit, “ we could take lunch together, I could introduce you around, it would be great Nico!”  
“The pay would be better,” Reyna continued, focussed completely on Annabeth, “he could be on his own sooner, and his talents as an Angel of Death will be helpful there. Something tells me you would appreciate that Nico, yes?”  
Reyna’s look was knowing, like she understood Nico more than she possibly could having just met him, “I have a feeling we are a bit alike you and I.” She smiled, and Nico could only return it. Will had warned him that some of his angelic skills might still be present, it was how Will was able to heal, and why he had become a nurse.   
“Yeah, you’re probably right. The morgue sounds good, I don’t have a problem with dead people. At least, they're easier than live ones.”  
Annabeth nodded, “alright, that’s settled.” She pulled a file from the kitchen counter next to Percy’s leg, he tugged on a lock of her hair as she did so. Annabeth smiled as she smacked his hand away playfully.   
“Based on what Will has told us already I had an identity set up for you,” she handed the file to Nico, who opened it curiously. “There’s a birth certificate, social security card, high school diploma and life history so far. I suggest you get started memorizing it, you will need to know all of this when you start your new job. Now that we’ve decided on a career for you I’ll work on a college degree. That will take about a week, so you have some time. There’s money in there, Will can take you tomorrow to open a bank account, and you can get some clothes as well. Will, he’ll need scrubs for the morgue, make sure he has everything that he needs. Once I have the degree finished I’ll bring it to you.”  
Reyna nodded, “perfect. Thank you Annabeth. Now all that remains is to decide the best place for Nico to stay. So far everyone has volunteered a place for Nico.” “Wait,” Will looked uneasy for the first time in the evening, “I assumed Nico would stay with me, I would be happy to have him there, he’s learned so much already. Why can’t he stay with me?”  
Jason spoke for the first time, his face was friendly and his posture non-threatening, but there was no doubting the authority in his voice. “Will, you only have a loft, if Nico stays with me and Piper, or even Percy and Annabeth, he can have his own room and some privacy. You know how important that will be for awhile. Plus, you’re still the most recent of us to Fall, you have done so much to help Nico, and you will still be a big part of his healing, but don’t you think it best if he stays with someone more experienced?”  
“Yeah, I guess,” Will looked at Nico, in his eyes a hint of the sadness Nico had seen on that first night. “As long as I can still help, and Nico still needs healing. I’m the only healer, so we’ll still see each other.”   
“Since Annabeth and Percy hosted Will, I suggest that Piper and I host Nico. We haven’t hosted anyone since Leo, and our spare room is already furnished ready to go.”  
Hazel piped in, “didn’t Leo try to burn down your apartment? I mean are you sure you’re ready to do this?”  
Leo laughed and threw a wadded up napkin at Hazel, “it was an accident, and now Jason knows better than to leave one of the Fallen alone in his kitchen with out the proper knowledge to work a stove, right buddy?”  
Jason rolled his eyes “how could I forget? We had to move Leo! But yes, new apartment, and between Piper and my schedules you won’t be alone much at all Nico, just the early mornings really.”  
Will chimed in again “he’s a late sleeper, no need to worry about that.”  
“Perfect!” Piper looked to Nico, her face friendly, “what do you think Nico, would you be ok with moving in with us?”  
Nico was not naturally a trusting person, but something about Jason and Piper made him feel comfortable. He nodded. Jason and Piper both grinned at him.   
“Then everything is decided,” Reyna said with a smile, “Will, take Nico out tomorrow, run all the errands you will need, then in the evening he can move all of his things in to Jason and Piper’s. Now, am I correct in my understanding that Hazel brought pie?”  
“Cherry and apple!” Hazel jumped up to get dessert started, “and vanilla ice cream, who wants ala mode?”  
Will’s smile was a little more sad than Nico expected as he turned to say “you do Nico, trust me!”

**************************************************************************************

Nico had been living with Jason and Piper for about three months, and it was really going well. Nico had started his new job in the morgue, and he saw Will most days that he worked. On the day he moved in Will had taken him shopping as planned, but he hadn’t stuck completely to the schedule they had been given. They opened a checking account for Nico, depositing all of the money from Nico’s file, along with some additional that Will contributed. They had gone shopping for every day clothes, along with scrubs for work, and comfortable shoes for work and street wear. After that they had made an unscheduled stop at the Apple Store. Will had helped Nico to pick out a cell phone, so they could talk and text any time they wanted, and a laptop computer so that Nico could look on the internet for anything he wanted to learn about. Nico didn’t understand why this was necessary, he wasn’t shy about asking questions of anyone, but Will explained that at some point he may want to learn things on his own, and the computer would help.   
“Besides,” Will had added with a grin, “you can watch movies and listen to music on it, it will help you learn about pop-culture!” Nico had accepted the gift with a blush and a “thank you.”  
Living with Jason and Piper was great. They were both funny and easy going. Nico had learned how to cook, and was starting to feel like he was ready to move out on his own. Even the subway map had started to make sense to him.   
It was a Friday night, and at Nico’s insistence Jason and Piper had gone out for the evening. It hadn’t been very difficult to persuade them, Nico had just detailed his plans for an evening filled with junk food and crappy horror movies (which for some reason he LOVED). He had just popped a bowl of popcorn, and was loading up Night of the Living Dead when there was a knock at the door.   
With a heavy sigh Nico moved to answer the door, multiple plans to get rid of the visitor already formed in his mind. They all melted away once he opened the door.  
Nico had never seen Will look so disheveled.   
“Oh, hey Nico,” Will offered a falsely bright smile, “Uh, Percy and Annabeth are out of town, I was wondering if Jason was around?”  
Nico shook himself out of his surprised stupor, “actually, he and Piper are out for the night. Can I help?”  
Will deflated, the false smile slipping away. “Uh, no, it’s ok. It’s not a big deal. I’ll just head home. ‘Night Nico.” He looked so disappointed, it made something feel sharp in Nico’s chest.   
“Wait!” Nico reached out and caught Will’s sleeve before he got too far. “I made lasagna last night, and there’s plenty left. I was just about to watch a movie, you could stay? I mean, you just got off work so I know you’re hungry, and it would be nice to have some company?” Nico hated that his words had come out sounding like a question. He and Will were friends, they ate lunch together when their shifts lined up, and texted each other when they didn’t.   
Will sighed heavily, still facing away from Nico he ran a hand through his hair. Nico always teased him about his hair, no matter what Will did his curls stood up in random places, Nico said he always looked like he had just come in from a windy day.   
Will turned towards him, smile back in place, “Alright. How can I say no to home made lasagna?”  
Nico heated up two plates of lasagna and they settled at the kitchen table. Nico could tell Will was trying, but he was clearly distracted, only occasionally picking at his food. After a particularly long bout of silence Nico cleared their plates before standing next to Will’s seat.   
“So, do you want to keep pretending everything is fine, or do you want to tell me what’s going on? ‘Cause this is getting weird.”  
Will’s shoulders dropped, his hands tangled in his hair and he released a sob that made the sharp feeling come back in Nico’s chest. He wondered if Will could feel it too, if that was the reason he was crying.  
Nico reached out and carefully untangled Will’s fingers from his hair. Will wrapped his arms around Nico’s waist, sobs continued to wrack his body. As gently as he could, Nico pulled Will to his feet and moved them over to the couch. Never in his life had Nico felt so helpless, the sharp feeling in his chest making his eyes water. He wrapped his arms around Will’s shoulders and pulled his head to rest on his shoulder.   
“Will,” he asked as quietly as he could “what happened? Are you hurt?”  
Will shook his head but continued to sob. Nico had no idea what to do, so he gave up asking questions and just let Will keep crying. He started to softly rub his hand along Will’s arm, occasionally offering small words of comfort. Eventually he moved to combing his fingers through Will’s hair, trying to calm the disarray that was Will’s curls. It was clearly a lost effort, but it seemed to calm Will so Nico kept going. Eventually the tears slowed, and from his place on Nico’s shoulder Will was finally able to speak.   
“On my shift tonight they brought in a woman who was just a mess. She only had an oversized T-shirt on, and there was blood running down her legs. I was so worried, I went right over to help her, and when I reached out to touch her she screamed. I could feel her pain from across the room Nico, I knew how much she was hurting, but she wouldn’t let me touch her. I told her that I could help, that I wanted to help, and she just dissolved into a sobbing mess. She wouldn’t let me near her. The Police officers that brought her in explained to me that she had been raped, a man had done that to her, and she was afraid I was going to hurt her too. One of the female nurses had to come and take over, I felt so helpless and angry. Another human did that to her, he hurt her with his own body. Can you believe that? I mean I knew it happened, I guess I had just never seen it up close and personal like that. I just….”  
Will’s breath caught and Nico worried he would start crying again. He leaned his own head against Will’s, it was the only comfort he could offer.   
Will sighed heavily before continuing, “I gave up everything to help them Nico. I was a Guardian, it was my job to follow my charges, to help them to heal when they were sick or injured. But sometimes even when I was able to help, I wasn’t allowed. I would be told ‘it’s their time’ and I was expected to stand back and allow them to cross. It was heart breaking! I asked why. Why could I not heal them? I was given the ability, why did They not allow me use it? They decided that if I wanted to heal the humans I could do so. On earth, as one of them.”  
Nico understood what Will meant, occasionally as an Angel of Death he would see the Guardian of the soul he was there to help cross, always they looked broken hearted, so sad and helpless. Nico had always wondered how hard it must be to watch the person they were charged with protecting as it was finally their time to cross. Clearly he had underestimated how painful it really was. But Nico had also seen the other side of things, seen how some souls were relieved to see him coming to help them cross. He remembered how some had cried tears of joy when they learned that their time on earth was done, so anxious for their pain to end.   
“I’m sorry Will. I know you would have helped that woman’s body to heal. Sometimes we can’t help, sometimes there’s pain that doesn’t live in the body. Sometimes there is a pain that lives in the mind. I’ve seen it, I’ve crossed souls that had witnessed so much pain and suffering that it was trapped in their body with them. Sometimes there really is nothing that we can do. Sometimes we are not the right help. It’s hard, and it makes you feel like less, but you’re not. Sometimes you have to let people hurt so that they can heal themselves.”  
Will gave a soft laugh, “did you get a psychology degree that I’m not aware of?”  
Nico lifted his head, turning to Will in confusion. “What? I don’t….”  
Will met his eyes, his red and swollen from crying. “Nothing, I just meant that that was a very wise thing for someone who has only been human for a few months to say.”  
Nico smiled “clearly I’ve been spending too much time with Jason.”  
Will snorted, which made Nico’s smile even wider.   
“I’m sorry, you were getting ready to watch a movie,” Will sat up, wiping at his eyes and yawing, “what are we watching?”  
“Well I was going to watch Night of the Living Dead, but given the evening you’ve had I think that’s pretty much out. You look tired, do you want to stay here? Jason and Piper won’t mind at all, and your apartment is far.”  
Will rubbed at his eyes again, “yeah, I guess you’re right, I don’t think I’ll last through a whole movie though. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to crash your evening.”  
Nico reached out to pull Will up by his hand as he laughed, “yeah, ‘cause I’ve never crashed one of your evenings. I seem to remember you didn’t sleep much in the first few days we met. You were too busy taking care of me. I owe you. Come on, you can borrow some sweats and have my bed.”  
“We’ve shared before Nico, I promise I won’t steal your blankets. Well, not all of them at least.”  
Nico found sweats for both of them and excused himself to the bathroom to change. When he returned Will was already asleep. Nico climbed onto the bed, grabbing the book he had been working on and settled down to read. About half an hour in Will’s sleep became fitful and he started mumbling in his sleep. Nico was familiar with nightmares, most of his were of either Falling, or being trapped on the subway with no idea where the train was heading. He closed his book and tucked it to the side, turning off his reading light as he went. Carefully he moved closer to Will, curling his body protectively along his back. Nico draped his arm over Will’s side and their hands found each other. Will sighed softly in his sleep, and Nico smiled, a warm feeling spreading through his chest. As he drifted off to sleep Nico could’t help but notice how much nicer the warm feeling was than the sharp feeling he had experienced earlier. 

**************************************************************************************************

The month after Will stayed with Nico had been a blur of activity. After ninety days of working his job in the morgue Nico had been promoted, which meant he was making enough money to find his own place. Jason had been helping him to look, but Nico was quickly learning that finding a nice apartment in the city was not easy. Jason never lost his optimism though, and they continued to look.   
Nico and Jason had actually grown to become quite good friends. Nico trusted Jason to answer all of his awkward questions about humanity, so of course he had been the first person that Nico had told about the night with Will. How he had felt that horrible sharp feeling in his chest as Will sobbed, and of the warmth that had spread through his chest as Will relaxed into sleep. How Nico had been thinking about it ever since, how he didn’t understand what it all meant. Jason had listened patiently, but when Nico was done explaining Jason had just smiled and called Piper into the room.   
“Why don't you explain to Piper what you just told me Nico? I think she can help. I’ll make diner tonight. You two talk.”  
With a bit of trepidation Nico had told the story of the night Will stayed again. At first Piper’s face was contemplative, but as Nico continued a smile began to stretch her face, slowly turning into a full on grin. However, to Nico’s frustration she didn’t tell him what it meant, she had instead launched into a discussion of human sexuality. She had explained attraction, and how humans reproduced. She had explained that sometimes boys were attracted to girls, and sometimes boys were attracted to boys, and sometimes they were attracted to both. She went on to explain that this was perfectly normal, and while it was not something that was common to Angels, humans tended to form strong partnerships based upon emotional connections, much like she and Jason had. Nico’s confusion must have shown on his face, because with a smile Piper had told him this would be an excellent topic for him to research on his laptop. She even went so far as to bookmark some websites for him to reference.   
“It was my job you know,” she had stated with a coy smile as she stood to leave the room, “as an Angel I helped humans find their partners, helped them find love. I was one of the best Nico. Anyway, check out those sites when you have some time. I think it will help you to understand. Now come on, let’s go set the table since Jason cooked.”  
Nico had gone to the sites Piper marked for him late that same night. He had been surprised by what he read. Was this what he was feeling? Attraction? Affection? Love? It had been too much to think about, and so, he didn’t.   
In the following weeks he had tried to ignore the little flutter in his chest every time he saw Will, every time he received a text message. He had tried to push down the warmth in his chest every time Will smiled at him or laughed. He had thought he was doing a pretty good job of keeping his feelings to himself. He had been wrong.   
“Hey, are you ok Nico? You’ve seemed a little….. off lately. Everything ok?”  
Will’s question had come during their lunch break at work. Nico panicked slightly, did Will know what he had been thinking? Or more importantly, how did Will feel about him? Nico hand’t let him self think about that, and now wasn’t the time. He shrugged and took another bite of his sandwich. “I’m fine, just been preoccupied trying to find an apartment.”  
Will had looked at Nico for a long beat of silence before answering with “Nico we’re friends, I mean, you know you can talk to me, right? I just want to make sure you know you can tell me, or ask me, anything. You know that, right?”  
Nico had smiled as he pushed down the warmth and fluttering in his chest, seriously how did Will do that?   
“Yeah, I know. You’re right, I should ask you, how did you find your apartment?”  
Will hadn’t looked convinced, but he told Nico the story of how he found his apartment, and when he was done it was time for them both to get back to work.   
That had been about a week ago, and they had only spoken via text since then. Nico was still unsure of how he really felt, and fine, maybe he was moping a little bit. He had just settled in for a quiet evening in his room when Piper barged in.   
“Come on Nico, we’re going out!” She looked over to where he was sitting at his desk, already in his sweats, bowl of ice cream before him. She made a quick turn to his closet, “Correction, you are changing, then we’re going out.”  
“I….. what?” Nico had managed as she dug through his clothes, tossing out a clean pair of jeans, his favorite Ramone’s T-shirt (Will had picked it out for him on that first shopping trip), and his leather jacket.   
“Wear your boots too. I know this guy who runs a club, it’s a favorite meeting place for Fallen. Leo knows the DJ that’s on tonight, and the place will be crawling with Fallen. It’s a great chance to socialize, and don't even try getting out of it because I’ve already decided you’re coming even if I have to change your clothes myself and carry you there.”  
Nico turned to call for Jason, but evidently Piper had beat him to the punch.  
“Jason already said he’d help me drag you there, he’s changing too. So are we doing this the easy way, or the hard way?”  
The ominous way Piper had cracked her knuckles after “hard way” effectively convinced Nico that it would be in his best interest to go along with the plan. It’s not that he was afraid of Piper, it was just that Piper and Jason working together as a united front meant that the odds were not really in his favor. Nico sighed.  
“Please tell me you’re not going to make me change in front of you.”  
Piper grinned, “Five minutes and meet us at the door. You’ll have fun Nico I promise!”  
A short time later Nico was awkwardly following Jason and Piper around the club. Piper had been right, the club was packed, and she seemed to know everyone. Nico sipped absently at the drink she had handed him, he didn’t know what it was but it was good, fruity. Whatever the drink contained trailed a burning warmth down his throat to his belly, which only served to make him think of Will, which probably explained the way he jumped when he heard a familiar voice behind him.  
“Nico!” Will grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, “Piper said you would come, I didn’t believe her. You don’t really seem like the club type.” Will was wearing a pair of ripped jeans, a bright t-shirt that was probably too small for him, and yellow Converse. He looked good, his grin seemed to light up the whole room. Nico couldn’t help but smile in return.  
“I don’t think I am, but you know, it’s hard to say no to Piper.”  
Will’s grin became even wider, “Tell me about it! Hey, what are you drinking? Do you mind? I’ve been dancing, it’s so hot in here!”   
Nico handed his drink over and watched as Will took a long drink. As he handed it back Will hummed “mmmmm! Sex on the beach!”  
Nico froze in shock, a blush heating his cheeks, “um….. excuse me?”  
Will laughed as he wiped his mouth, “the drink, it’s called sex on the beach. I’m guessing Piper ordered for you? It’s one of her favorites.”   
Nico shot an accusatory glare at Piper, she just shrugged and winked.  
Before Nico had a chance to answer the music in the club changed. A rhythmic beat that sounded like people marching started, and the crowd went wild, clapping and heading to the dance floor. Will’s eyes brightened, his smile stretching, he reached out and grabbed Nico’s hand. “I love this one! Come on Nico, let’s dance!”  
Nico barely had time to pass his glass to Piper before Will pulled him to the dance floor. Nico looked around awkwardly, he had never danced before. Will seemed to understand, he stepped closer and placed his hands on Nico’s hips.   
“It’s not hard,” he had to shout into Nico’s ears to be heard over the crowd and too loud music, “just move your hips with the music. Start slow, you’ll get more comfortable. Remember, everybody else is more concerned with how they look than what you’re doing, so have fun!”  
Will directed Nico’s hips with his hands. Nico moved stiffly at first, until a woman’s voice added to the rhythm of the song. The whole crowd joined her as she sang “Heaven knows, we belong way down below” and Nico understood why the crowd in the club had been excited for this song to play, it was for them, the Fallen. He threw his head back and laughed. He relaxed and moved with the music, eventually Will had stepped closer and pulled Nico’s hands behind his neck. They danced like that for a moment, moving in perfect synchronicity, as if they had been doing so for years. Until Nico looked up, and met Will’s eyes, Will’s blue blue eyes. Before he could think Nico leaned in. His eyes closed as he pressed his lips to Will’s. Suddenly everything stopped, there was no crowd, no music, nothing but him and the warmth of Will’s body pressed against his own. Nico opened his lips in a slight sigh as he felt Will’s arms move to hold his waist. Will’s tongue twisted with his own and it felt good, comfortable, right. When the room started to feel like it was spinning Nico pulled away to catch his breath, and just like that the spell was broken. Reality screeched bach into being, the crowd of bodies around them, the too loud music, and Will, Will and his too blue eyes.   
What had he done?  
Panic set in as Nico backed away from Will.   
“I…I’m sorry,” Nico stuttered, “Will I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…”  
“Waited so long?” Will smiled as he reached out for Nico’s hand, still shouting to be heard over the crowd, “No, you shouldn’t have.”  
Suddenly the club seemed completely overwhelming to Nico, too loud, too crowded. As usual Will seemed to understand.   
“Do you want to go somewhere more quiet? Somewhere we could talk?”  
Nico nodded, and Will pulled him by the hand back to where Piper and Jason were lounging against the bar. Nico noticed that Annabeth and Percy had joined them, both couples looked up as Will pulled Nico closer. Piper’s face split into a grin, she dug her elbow into Jason’s ribs.  
“Hey guys!” Will yelled as they got close enough to be heard, “I think the club’s a bit much for Nico, do you mind if he and I go back to your place?”   
“No problem,” Piper answered, “Nico you have your key right? Jason and I are going to stay, we won’t be home until at least 1am, so you two will have the place to yourselves until then.”  
As Will started to pull him through the crowd, Nico looked back at Piper and as she winked he was pretty sure he heard Annabeth tell Percy “See? Told you, you totally owe me $5.”

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by the song by Ghost with the same title.   
> Also at the end the song playing in the club is Heaven Knows by The Pretty Reckless.


End file.
